Waterproof footwear



Jan. 16, 1934. H. P. MANVILLE WATERPROOF FOOTWEAR Filed Feb. 25, 1933 444% B Y p v Patented Jan. 16, 1934 WATERPROOF FOOTWEAR Henrietta, Porr Manville, Woodbury, Conn, as-

signor to The Goodyears India Rubber Glove Manufacturing 00., Naugatuck, Conn., a corporation Of Connecticut Application February 25, 1933. Serial No. 658,479

7 Claims.

This invention relates to a waterproof footwear article, more particularly to a rubber or rubber and fabric gaiter.

Light waterproof gaiters have come into extensive use in recent years, and in general such gaiters are provided with top openingswhich may be enlarged by slits or bellows for the insertion of the foot, the slits or bellows being then closed by various types of fasteners, buckles, etc. The objections to the use of such fasteners are the increased cost of manufacture, the added bulkiness and weight of the article when such fasteners are incorporated, the liability of the fasteners getting out of order, and the difliculty of getting a, smooth snug fit.

Due to the variations in the shape of feet a gaiter which may fit the lower foot portion perfectly may be either too large or too small around the ankle and leg portions, and fasteners of the sliding or snap type are not adjustable to take care of variation in the size of the leg and ankle portions. Fasteners of the buckle type are capable of adjustment to some extent, but they are bulky and destroy the good appearance and symmetry of the gaiter.

In the gaiter disclosed in my prior 'Patent No. 1,840,241, I have provided a construction in which all fasteners have been done away with, and the various portions of the gaiter upper are so constructed that they have a maximum stretch at those points in the upper where stretch is most desired when inserting the foot. Also, the top opening of the gaiter instead of extending horizontally across, has its side edges curved downwardly and forwardly so as to increase theeffective size of the opening through which the foot is introduced, while retaining a snug' fitting appearance around the ankle and leg.

An object of the present invention is to provide a gaiter or similar footwear article in which the number of parts constituting the body of the upper has been reduced while at the same time obtaining the desired stretch at those parts of the upper where it is necessary for the insertion of the foot. 1

Another object is to provide a gaiter having an opening for the insertion of the foot which is in effect considerably larger than those previously used while at the same time giving the effect of a smaller opening, and retaining a smooth snug fit around the leg.

Other objects will appear from the detailed description and drawing in which latter:

Figure 1 is a perspective of a gaiter embodying the invention;

Fig. 2 is a similar perspective taken from the opposite side of the gaiter;

Fig. 3 is a plan of a one-piece vamp andhalf quarter blank;

Fig. 4 is a plan of a half quarter blank; and

Fig. 5 is a plan, partly broken away, of the blanks when assembled in the flat.

Referring to the drawing, the numeral 1 designates a one-piece vamp and half quarter, the 6 vamp portion being designated by the numeral 2 and the half quarter portion by the numeral 3. While the upper of the footwear article may be made entirely of rubber, if desired, in the present instance it is disclosed as being made of rubberized ribbed elastic fabric. In the making of the part 1, a suitable ribbed elastic fabric 4 may first be coated superficially with a thin layer of rubber, such as by spreading, and a blank may. then be cut out from the sheet. A similar blank 5 of the rubber outer may be cut from a sheet of suitable rubber stock and then disposed on the rubber coated fabric. Instead, if desired, the rubber coated fabric may have a sheet of rubber of outer upper stock applied thereto and-the entire blank then cut or died out as a whole. The edge 6 of the blank which will form one upper side edge of the quarter in the completed gaiter is curved forwardly and downwardly and continued in the edge 6' which will be located, at the rear of the vamp in the completed gaiter. It Will be noted that the ribs of the elastic fabric 4 extend in a direction vertically of the quarter.

The half quarter 7 may be made in a similar manner by cutting out a blank from a lightly rubberized sheet of ribbed elastic fabric and then superposing on this a similar cutout blank 7 of outer upper rubber stock, or as in the case of the blank 1, the outer rubber stock may be applied in sheet form to the sheet of rubberized fabric and the entire blank then cut out in a single operation. It will be noted in Fig. 4 that at the forward end of the half quarter, there is provided a tapering extension 8, for a purpose to be later described. The upper edge 9 of the half quarter is curved forwardly and downwardly on the same curvature as the half quarter of the blank 1 and is continued as the upper edge 9 of the extension 8. The forward edge 10 of the half quarter '7 is also continued so as to form the lower edge 10' of the extension 8.

An ornamental bead of rubber 11 is then applied along the edge 6 of the half quarter portion of the blank 1, and a similar ornamental bead 12 is applied along the top edge 9 of the half quarter blank 7, this bead being also extended down along the top edge 9 of the extension 8. A similar ornamental bead 13 is applied along the con tinuous edges 10 and 10' of the half quarter blank '7 and extension 8. The half quarter blank '7 is then superposed on the blank 1 as shown in Fig. 5 to form an upper, and the edge 10 of the half quarter blank '7 is overlapped and united with the edge 6' of the blank 1, while the continuation 10 of the edge 10 forming the lower edge of extension 8 laps over on the body portion of the blank 1 and is united thereto only along the edge. In order to reinforce the connection at the end of the extension 8, an ornamental button 14 of rubber may be disposed at the end of the extension 8. By this construction, the blank '7 and blank 1 are united only along the edges 10. and 10 of the blank 7 so that the extension 8 overlaps a portion of the blank 1 but is not united thereto except along edge 10. The completed upper as shown in Fig. 5 is then closed by uniting the rear edges of the half quarter portion 3 andthe half quarter blank '7, after which the closed upper may be drawn over a last, the bottom edges turned over on an insole, and the gaiter completed by the addition of the usual reinforcements, such as the foxing 15 and counter 16, the outsole 1'7 then applied, and the gaiter vulcanized.

It will be seen that by the above construction the edges 6 and 9 at the top of the quarter of the finished shoe outline an opening for the insertion of the foot which is similar in appearance to and apparently is of the same size as the opening shown in the gaiter of my Patent No. 1,840,241.

However, when drawing the gaiter on the foot the effective opening is in fact considerably larger, because the edges 6 and 9 cross in overlapping relation but are not unitedat the point of crossing, the edge 6 continuing downward on the opposite side of the gaiter to form the rear edge 6' of the vamp on the opposite side (see Fig. 2). The edge 9 also continues downwardly on the opposite side of the shoe from which it started to form the upper free edge 9' of the extension 8. The overlapped portions of the gaiter upper below the crossing point of the edges 6 and 9 are not united except along the bottoms of the overlaps, and as a result when the foot is inserted in the opening in the gaiter, the overlapped portions can spread apart so as to provide an opening for the insertion of the foot of considerably larger size than that shown in my prior patent. However, the appearance of the gaiter either when 01f or on the foot is practically the same as that shown in my prior patent, that is, the opening at the top of the gaiter is apparently relatively small, and the quarter portions of the upper smoothly and snugly fit the leg of the wearer. By this construction the ease with which the gaiter may be put on is greatly increased, while at the same time the neat, attractive and close fitting appearance of the gaiter disclosed in my former patent is entirely retained.

It will also be noted from Figs. 1 and 2 that in the quarter portion of the gaiter, the ribs of the elastic fabric are disposed vertically of the gaiter, so that at the top opening and around the ankle a maximum stretch in a horizontal plane can be obtained when donning the gaiter. However, due to the fact that the half quarter portion 3 and the entire vamp 2 are in a single piece, the fitting and stretching of the vamp to the shape of the last causes the direction of the ribs of the fabric to gradually change in the vamp until the ribs assume a direction substantially longitudinally of the gaiter as shown at 18 in Fig. 2. Hence, in the foot portion of the gaiter, a desired large stretch is obtained in a plane laterally of the gaiter. By this construction, the desired large stretch is obtained at points where needed for easy donning, as in the case of the gaiter of my prior patent, but this desired result has been obtained by the use of two parts instead of three. However, if desired, the vamp can be made separate from both of the half quarters, and by making one of the half quarters with an extension 8, the desired enlarged foot opening can still be obtained.

It will be seen that by my invention, a gaiter can be produced which will have a maximum stretch at the points where such stretch is required, and which will have an opening for the introduction of the foot which is small in appearance and yet provides much greater ease in donning the gaiter. This result has been obtained while maintaining the smooth and trim fit of the gaiter over ankles and legs differing considerably in size and shape, and without requiring the use of fasteners of any kind.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is:

1. A waterproof gaiter of elastic material, its upper having a top opening the side edges of which curve forwardly and downwardly in crossed relation to opposite sides of the gaiter, the overlapped portions of the upper below said crossing being connected only along their hottoms.

2. A waterproof gaiter of elastic material, the upper side portions of which overlap at the front adjacent the ankle, the bottoms only of the overlaps being joined, the top edges of the gaiter being curved downwardly and forwardly and at their lower portions forming the upper free edges of said overlaps.

3. A waterproof gaiter of elastic material, having a quarter, the sides of which extend into overlapping relation adjacent the instep, with the bottoms only of the overlapped portions joined, the free edges of the overlapped portions being curved upwardly and rearwardly in crossed relation and continuing to the back of the back of the quarter top.

4. A waterproof gaiter of elastic material, comprising a one piece vamp and half quarter, and a second half quarter joined at its rear to the first half quarter and at its front to the vamp, the top edge of each half quarter curving from the rear downwardly and forwardly to the op posite side of the gaiter and crossing the top edge of the opposite half quarter, the overlapped portions of the half quarters below said crossing being connected only along their bottoms.

5. A waterproof gaiter of elastic material, comprising a one piece vamp and half quarter,

the top edge of the half quarter curving forward ly and downwardly to the opposite side of the gaiter and continuing downwardly as the rear edge of the vamp on said opposite side, and a second half quarter joined at its rear edge to the rear edge of the first one and at its front edge to the rear edge of said vamp, said second half quarter having an extension lapping over on the one piece vamp and half quarter and joined thereto on its lower edge only, the top edge of said second half quarter curving forwardly and downwardly to the opposite side of the gaiter and continuing as the free top edge of said extension.

6. A waterproof gaiter having an upper of rubberized ribbed elastic fabric, the quarter portion of which defines a top opening the side edges of which curve forwardly and downwardly in crossed relation to opposite sides of the gaiter, the overlapped portions of the upper below said crossing being connected only along their bottoms, and the ribs of said fabric extending substantially vertically in said quarter portion.

7. A waterproof gaiter of rubberized ribbed elastic fabric, comprising a one piece vamp and half quarter, the top edge of the half quarter curving forwardly and downwardly to the opposite side of the gaiter and continuing downwardly as the rear edge of the vamp on said opposite side, the ribs of said fabric extending vertically in the half quarter portion and gradually shifting to a substantially longitudinal direction in the vamp portion, and a second half quarter joined at its rear edge to the rear edge of the first one and at its front edge to the rear edge of said vamp, said second half quarter having an extension lapping over on the one piece vamp and half quarter and joined thereto on its lower edge only, the top edge of said second half quarter curving forwardly and downwardly to the opposite side of the gaiter and continuing as the free top edge of said extension, the ribs of the fabric in said second half quarter extending vertically.

HENRIETTA PORR. MANVILLE. 

